Last December I made the decision to join a project 52. What does that mean? It means that I have been taking a photo of my family doing “ordinary everyday” things once a week for the last five and a half months. Local photographer Carey Pace spearheaded the project and gives us a weekly theme. I won’t lie, it’s been difficult. Keeping up with a personal project while dealing with life in general isn’t easy. But it has been so worth it. I have hesitated to share them here because not all of them are portfolio worthy, but I do believe it is worthwhile to show you what I’ve been working on. The whole project has been good for me, actually. There have been so many times that I’ve NOT taken a photo of my kids because the light wasn’t right, or because my house wasn’t clean enough, or my kids’ clothes were dirty or didn’t match, or they weren’t wearing any (I chose to not include those ones online). I’ve been much more conscious of the necessity to just photograph them anyway. Sometimes I get so caught up in daily life that I forget that there is beauty in the everyday. If there is anything I’ve learned during the ten and a half years I’ve been a parent, it is that everything goes by so quickly. I know it is cliche and you’ve probably heard it a thousand times, but I’ll say it anyway: Although the days are long, the years are short. That simple statement makes me treasure these photos (even the imperfect ones). If you move your mouse over each photo, it should tell you what the theme was.

Hands – That’s about all you can see of her when she says her prayers.

Smile/portrait

The view – (this is how she views motherhood. She was choosing her outfit for career day at school. She wants to be a mom when she grows up).

Sleep – I always have to wake her up to take her siblings to school. She’d much rather be sleeping

Relationships – a self portrait (Yes, I’m in my pajamas)

At play

Pets

New – I introduced a new breakfast cereal that she wasn’t happy about (I don’t blame her. It was millet).

Motion

Learn – My mom teaching my son how to make balloon animals

Mornings

Homework

Grooming

Favorite – her favorite thing to do is look for bugs in the yard

breaking bread – my daughter eating a sandwich that my mom made for her

The yard

Left behind – this is our rescued shelter dog

Hobbies/Recreation – She loves sidewalk chalk!

Responsibility – He takes care of the little girls for me so I can get dinner ready every night.